In a report released Thursday, February 23, the International Crisis Group points to the danger that would represent a withdrawal of NGOs and international aid, of which Afghan women would be the first victims.
Should Afghanistan be further isolated, where the Taliban have banned women from secondary schools and universities, where NGOs have been ordered to no longer work with Afghan women, where women are excluded from most jobs in the civil service and no longer even have the right to go to parks, gymnasiums and public baths? A report by the think tank “International Crisis Group”, published on Thursday, advises the international community not to turn its back on Afghanistan, because this would entail the risk of aggravating the situation of women in particular.
” Women and girls are the first to lose their last opportunities »
“ These restrictions decided by the Taliban have horrified the donors. So there is a great risk that they will withdraw from Afghanistan. This could push the country further into misery. If Afghanistan’s international isolation is reinforced, women and girls are the first to lose their last opportunities », Analyzes Graeme Smith, senior consultant on Afghanistan with the « International Crisis Group ».
“ We know that when a family does not have enough to eat, it is first the women and girls who will not eat. These families in distress also tend to marry off their daughters, often unfortunately at a very young age. It’s a question of survival “, he continues. Women and girls would therefore be the first victims of a disengagement of local NGOs and international aid.
Electrical infrastructure needs to work
Graeme Smith takes the example of one of the largest audiovisual media in the country, which wants to broadcast educational programs for women and girls, but to do so, the electrical infrastructure must work. “ Now major donors like France are unwilling to work with the Taliban to restore infrastructure. In turn, this has a serious impact on women and girls who will not be able to continue to study and enjoy their human rights. “, laments Graeme Smith.